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At least 829 records · Page 46
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NASA NTRS1978

The velocity distribution of interstellar gas observed in strong UV absorption lines

Observations of three strong interstellar UV absorption lines of N I (1199 A), N II (1083 A), and Si III (1206 A) in 47 stars of widely varying distance and a variety of spectral types are analyzed to obtain a velocity distribution function for the interstellar gas. A technique based on the maximum and minimum velocities observed along a line of sight is adopted because of heavy line blending, and results are discussed for both power-law and exponential distribution functions. The expected distribution of radiative-phase supernova remnants (SNRs) in the interstellar medium is calculated as a function of SNR birthrate and of the interstellar density in which they evolve. The results are combined with observed distance estimates, and it is shown that an interstellar density in excess of 0.1 per cu cm would be required to keep the SNRs sufficiently confined so that their cross sections are consistent with the observed number of components. The alternative possibility is considered that SNRs do not enter the radiative phase before escaping from the Galaxy or colliding with neighboring remnants.

Cowie, L. L.↗
NASA NTRS1979

The brightness distribution of IRC +10216 at 11 microns

The brightness distribution of IRC +10216 at a wavelength of 11 microns was measured in detail using a spatial interferometer. This brightness distribution appears to have azimuthal symmetry; an upper limit of 1.1 may be set to the ellipticity at 11 microns if the object has a major axis oriented either along or perpendicular to the major axis of the optical image. The radial distribution shows both compact and extended emission. The extended component, which is due to thermal emission from circumstellar dust, contributes 91% of the total flux and has a 1/e diameter of 0.90 minutes. The tapered shape of this component is consistent with a l/r squared dust density dependence. The compact component is unresolved (less than 0.2 minutes in diameter) and represents emission from the central star seen through the circumstellar envelope.

Sutton, E. C.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Experimental studies on the effects of a sting support on the pressure distribution around a spherical object

Experiments were conducted on a spherical object, 2.5 inches in diameter, to obtain the pressure distribution around its meridan plane. In most of the tests the sphere was provided with a tail consisting of a circular cylinder that was attached directly to the rear with its axis in alignment with the center of the sphere. In some tests the tail was removed and the sphere alone was tested for comparison purposes. The main object of the tests was to obtain information on tail interference with the pressure distribution. The results of the tests show that the pressure distribution was affected by the presence of the tail to a minor extent only, while major differences occurred with the variation of the Reynolds number. The experiments were performed both in an open as well as inside a closed wind tunnel under steady flow conditions at Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.91 to 2.6 x 100000.

Barna, P. S.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The distribution of S IV and Ne II in NGC 7027

Results are reported for measurements of the S IV 10.5-micron and Ne II 12.8-micron IR emission lines at four positions in NGC 7027 and of the Ar III 9.0-micron line at one position in the same planetary nebula. Ionic abundances are calculated using the data obtained at one position and are combined with published optical data for other ionization states to obtain total elemental abundances. The S IV and Ne II line-intensity distributions are compared with an 8.1-GHz radio map of the nebula. The S IV distribution indicates a density of about 500,000 per cu cm, and the Ne II is found to be contained in low-ionization regions distributed inhomogeneously throughout the nebula. The total abundances relative to hydrogen are determined to be 0.000015 for S, 0.000053 for Ne, and 0.000007 for Ar; these abundances are shown to be within the range of published average values for planetary nebulae.

Bregman, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Distribution functions in plasmas generated by a volume source of fission fragments

The role played by fission fragments and electron distribution functions in nuclear pumped lasers is considered and procedures for their calculations are outlined. The calculations are illustrated for a He-3/Xe mixture where fission is provided by the He-3(n,p)H-3 reaction. Because the dominant ion in the system depends on the Xe fraction, the distribution functions cannot be determined without the simultaneous consideration of a detailed kinetic model. As is the case for wall sources of fission fragments, the resulting plasmas are essentially thermal but the electron distribution functions are non-Maxwellian.

Deese, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1979

On the distribution of computation for sequential decoding using the stack algorithm

A method is developed for estimating the computational distribution for the stack algorithm for sequential decoding, that is, the probability that the computation required to decode the first branch of the tree is greater than or equal to N, for small N. The analysis relies heavily on the theory of multitype branching processes. A step in the analysis is the determination of the distribution of the minimum of the cumulative metrics along the transmitted path in the code tree. This is used to obtain the distribution of the number of computations made by the decoder in order to decode the first branch in the tree, and this random variable serves as an approximation of the average number of computations per decoded branch. At information rates below the cutoff rate, the calculated computational performance is virtually identical to that obtained by time-consuming simulations.

Johannesson, R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Absolute spectral energy distribution of quasi-stellar objects from 0.3 to 10 microns

Energy distributions of 24 quasrs have been measured from 0.3 to 10 microns. In addition, optical emission-line strengths have been obtained for 35 quasars. The sample includes quasars discovered from both radio and optical surveys. Over the observed range of wavelengths the energy distributions are roughly characterized by a power law of slope -1, but there are vast differences in the shapes of individual spectra. In the rest frame the average slope between 1 and 3 microns is significantly steeper than the average slope between 0.3 and 1 micron; the power emitted at 0.3 and 3 microns is significantly greater than that emitted around 1 micron. On the basis of arguments of variability and the shape of the energy distribution between optical and radio wavelengths, it is concluded that the bulk of the radiation in the observed range results from nonthermal processes. Some contribution from thermal emission from dust cannot be ruled out and may explain the break in the spectra at 1 micron seen in many quasars.

Neugebauer, G.↗
NASA NTRS1979

The brightness distribution of IRC +10216 at 11 microns

The brightness distribution of IRC +10216 at a wavelength of 11 microns has been measured in detail by using spatial interferometer. This brightness distribution appears to have azimuthal symmetry; an upper limit of 1.1 may be set to the ellipticity at 11 microns if the object has a major axis oriented either along or perpendicular to the major axis of the optical image. The radial distribution shows both compact and extended emission. The extended component, which is due to thermal emission from circumstellar dust, contributes 91% of the total flux and has a 1/e diameter of 0.90 arcsec. The tapered shape of this component is consistent with a dust density dependence on the inverse square of radial distance. The compact component is unresolved (less than 0.2 arcsec in diameter) and represents emission from the central star seen through the circumstellar envelope.

Sutton, E. C.↗
NASA NTRS1979

A theory of local and global processes which affect solar wind electrons. I - The origin of typical 1 AU velocity distribution functions - Steady state theory

A kinetic theory for the velocity distribution of solar wind electrons which illustrates the global and local properties of the solar wind expansion is proposed. By means of the Boltzmann equation with the Krook collision operator accounting for Coulomb collisions, it is found that Coulomb collisions determine the population and shape of the electron distribution function in both the thermal and suprathermal energy regimes. For suprathermal electrons, the cumulative effects of Coulomb interactions are shown to take place on the scale of the heliosphere itself, whereas the Coulomb interactions of thermal electrons occur on a local scale near the point of observation (1 AU). The bifurcation of the electron distribution between thermal and suprathermal electrons is localized to the deep solar corona (1 to 10 solar radii).

Scudder, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Information Theory and the Earth's Density Distribution

An argument for using the information theory approach as an inference technique in solid earth geophysics. A spherically symmetric density distribution is derived as an example of the method. A simple model of the earth plus knowledge of its mass and moment of inertia lead to a density distribution which was surprisingly close to the optimum distribution. Future directions for the information theory approach in solid earth geophysics as well as its strengths and weaknesses are discussed.

Rubincam, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Comparison of predicted and experimental real-gas pressure distributions on space shuttle orbiter nose for shuttle entry air data system

An experimental investigation of inviscid real-gas effects on the pressure distribution along the Space Shuttle Orbiter nose center line up to an angle of attack of 32 deg was performed in support of the Shuttle Entry Air Data System (SEADS). Free-stream velocities from 4.8 to 6.6 kn/s were generated at hypersonic conditions with helium, air, and CO2, resulting in normal-shock density ratios from 3.7 to 18.4. The experimental results for pressure distribution agreed closely with numerical results. Modified Newtonian theory deviates from both experiment and the numerical results as angle of attack increases or shock density ratio decreases. An evaluation of the use of modified Newtonian theory for predicting SEADS pressure distributions in actual flight conditions was made through comparison with numerical predictions.

Shinn, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Analytical inversions in remote sensing of particle size distributions. IV - Comparison of Fymat and Box-McKellar solutions in the anomalous diffraction approximation

It is shown that the inverse analytical solutions, provided separately by Fymat and Box-McKellar, for reconstructing particle size distributions from remote spectral transmission measurements under the anomalous diffraction approximation can be derived using a cosine and a sine transform, respectively. Sufficient conditions of validity of the two formulas are established. Their comparison shows that the former solution is preferable to the latter in that it requires less a priori information (knowledge of the particle number density is not needed) and has wider applicability. For gamma-type distributions, and either a real or a complex refractive index, explicit expressions are provided for retrieving the distribution parameters; such expressions are, interestingly, proportional to the geometric area of the polydispersion.

Fymat, A. L.↗
NASA NTRS1979

The probability distribution of the predicted CFM-induced ozone depletion

It is argued from the central limit theorem that the uncertainty in model predicted changes of the ozone column density is best represented by a normal probability density distribution. This conclusion is validated by comparison with a probability distribution generated by a Monte Carlo technique. In the case of the CFM-induced ozone depletion, and based on the estimated uncertainties in the reaction rate coefficients alone the relative mean standard deviation of this normal distribution is estimated to be 0.29.

Ehhalt, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Storage, transmission and distribution of hydrogen

Current practices and future requirements for the storage, transmission and distribution of hydrogen are reviewed in order to identify inadequacies to be corrected before hydrogen can achieve its full potential as a substitute for fossil fuels. Consideration is given to the storage of hydrogen in underground solution-mined salt caverns, portable high-pressure containers and dewars, pressure vessels and aquifers and as metal hydrides, hydrogen transmission in evacuated double-walled insulated containers and by pipeline, and distribution by truck and internal distribution networks. Areas for the improvement of these techniques are indicated, and these technological deficiencies, including materials development, low-cost storage and transmission methods, low-cost, long-life metal hydrides and novel methods for hydrogen storage, are presented as challenges for research and development.

Kelley, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Preliminary calculations concerning the maintenance of the zonal mean ozone distribution in the Northern Hemisphere

Results from a three-dimensional photochemical-dynamical model of ozone are presented and a qualitative description of the maintenance of the ozone distribution and its seasonal variations below 1 mb is given. The transition between photochemical and transport control of the ozone distribution is emphasized. Between 1 and 10 mb, transport by the eddies seems to play only a minor role at mid-latitudes in producing the observed ozone distribution despite the zero correlation between ozone and temperature which occurs in that region. In the lower stratosphere, mean and eddy contributions to ozone change generally strongly offset one another. The buildup and decay of the springtime ozone maximum is discussed. Emphasis is given to the mechanism of ozone transport by the mid-latitude eddies, which play an important role in the springtime accumulation of ozone.

Cunnold, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Anisotropic velocity distributions in M87 - Is a supermassive black hole necessary

A collisionless distribution of stars with an anisotropic velocity distribution is considered as a model for the cores of spherical galaxies. The first moment of the corresponding Boltzmann equation is integrated to give the resulting density and velocity dispersion profiles. These distributions plus a central point source of light give a good fit to the data from recent observations of M87 without requiring a supermassive central object. This model requires one less fitting parameter than published models incorporating a central black hole. The same model with no point source of light also provides a good fit to the normal E1 galaxy NGC 3379. The success of this model in describing the cores of both M87 and NGC 3379 suggests that a supermassive black hole is not necessary in either.

Duncan, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The distribution of singly ionized ionospheric helium from 304 A backscatter observations

The theoretical distribution of helium ions in the ionosphere is studied as a function of such ionospheric parameters as the remaining ion composition and distribution, temperature, magnetic field topology, and ionospheric dynamics. An attempt is made to verify the theoretical predictions of the H(+) distribution in the ionosphere on the basis of observations of 304 A radiation resonantly scattered from He(+).

Chakrabarti, S.↗
NASA NTRS1980

A command and data subsystem for deep space exploration based on the RCA 1802 microprocessor in a distributed configuration

The Command and Data Subsystem (CDS) is an RCA 1802microprocessor based subsystem that acts as the central nervous system for the Galileo Orbiter Spacecraft. All communication between the ground and spacecraft flows through the CDS. The CDS also distributes commands in real time, algorithmetrically expanded from a data base loaded from the ground and in response to spacecraft alarms. The distributed microprocessor system is configured as a redundant set of hardware with three microprocessors on each half. The microprocessors are surrounded by a group of special purpose hardware components which greatly enhance the ability of the software to perform its task. It is shown how the software architecture makes a distributed system of six microprocessors appear to each user as a single virtual machine, and collectively as a set of cooperating virtual machines that prevent the simultaneous presence of the several users from interfering destructively with each other.

Thomas, J. S.↗